BDS Durban III Now!!

An open letter to Berlusconi, giving him an opportunity to ensure his place in history.
Italy, boycott Durban III!

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Giulio Meotti, 07/06/11 15:42

Giulio Meotti

The writer, an Italian journalist with Il Foglio, writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva. He is the author of the book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter and of "J'Accuse: the Vatican Against Israel" published by Mantua Books.. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Frontpage and Commentary.

The Obama administration has announced that the United States will not participate in this September’s United Nations 10th anniversary commemoration of its World Conference Against Racism, also known as “Durban III”. Israel and Canada have also said they will not participate in the commemoration.

Mr. Berlusconi, as prime minister of Italy you have not hesitate to show sympathy for Israel’s major concern for its fate, you proudly said “no” to the Goldstone’s report that, de facto, prevents Israel from exercising its right to self-defense, and you actively worked to include Hamas in the European black list of terror organizations.

In foreign policy, you led a rare pro-American and pro-Israeli government in the midst of a Europe that delegitimizes the war on terror.

Now you must follow Obama and boycott “Durban III”, a new shameful tirade against Israel and Western freedoms. You must renew your promise to fight the spreading anti-Semitic ideology that the Durban's saga is fueling with hatred and lies.

Durban I and II have been perverted, racist parades against Israel, the West and the Jews, the worst public episode of anti-Semitism since the Second World War.

Since then, the definition of the Jewish State as an “apartheid state” has signaled the genocidal transformation of Islamist hatred. The signal is that an unworthy, settler and illegitimate “entity” must be destroyed. Israel became public enemy number one.

An Italian boycott of Durban III would be followed by other European countries and hopefully by the Vatican, that in 2001 and 2009 shamefully approved the Durban platform.

It will be a matter of honor for the Italian diplomacy that is too often remembered for its appeasement to Arab terrorism.

It would be a major contribution in that it attempts to rescue the United Nations from the hands of those countries that - like Iran - are holding this institution hostage with their racist and discriminatory positions.

Without such a tangible boycott, terrorist leaders may believe they have a free hand to implement their genocidal agenda. Durban I was the prelude of the Second Intifada and the 9/11 attacks. Durban III could be followed by a third, bloodshedding Intifada, or even worse, by war.

Seventy-three years ago, in September, in what had become one of the opening acts of the greatest tragedy in European history, Italy betrayed its own Jews. Today, Italy should take the lead in the battle against those who seek to finish the job started by the Nazis.